Method and apparatus for configuring a control device, and corresponding control device

• US 7,774,382 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2006
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Niemetz, Michael, Franke, Andreas, Warmuth, Michael, Quiesser, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleurantin; Jean B
• Application Number:
  US11/909,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20080270427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,603 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707200-206, 701/1, 701/29, 701/35, 701/36, 701/101, 701/102, 701/115
• US Class Current: 707/804
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23193 Memory stores lifetime, different settings, configurations of controlled device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2637 Vehicle, car, auto, wheelchair

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for configuring a control device and to a corresponding control device. The control device comprises a main memory and a variant memory. A main data record is created in accordance with an identification from a base data record that is specific to said identification and a difference base data record that is likewise specific to said identification. The main data record is then transmitted to a main memory of the control device.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a control device, comprising the following steps:

reading in an identification code;

creating a working data record from a basic data record specific to the identification code or from a basic data record specific to the identification code and at least one difference data record specific to the identification code, wherein the basic data record and the difference data record are stored in a variant memory in the control device; and

transferring the working data record to a main memory of the control device and performing error correction when the working data record is transferred from the variant memory to the main memory.

2. The method according to claim 1, which comprises erasing the main memory prior to the transferring step.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the basic data record and/or the difference data records are present in compressed form in the variant memory and the method further comprises decompressing the basic data record and/or the difference data records when the working data record is created.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the basic data record and the difference data record are recursively combined.

5. The method according to claim 1, which comprises creating the working data record in the control device.

6. The method according to claim 1, which comprises comparing a content of the main memory and/or of the variant memory with a predefined checksum.

7. A computer program with computer-executable instruction code for carrying out the method according to claim 1 when the program is executed on a computer or on a computer network.

8. A machine-readable data carrier having stored thereon a computer program with computer-executable instruction code which, when read into a memory of a computer, causes the computer to carry out the method according to claim 1.

9. A data carrier having stored thereon a data structure which, upon having been loaded to a main memory or a primary memory of a computer or a computer network, is configured to carry out the method according to claim 1.

10. A computer program product with computer-executable instruction code stored on a machine-readable carrier for executing the method steps according to claim 1 when the program is read into a working memory of and executed on a computer or on a computer network.

11. A control device, comprising:

a main memory for a working data record;

a variant memory of the control device having a basic data record specific to a particular identification code and at least one difference data record specific to a particular identification code, a working data record being creatable from a basic data record and a difference data record; and

the control device programmed to transfer the working data record to said main memory and perform error correction when the working data record is transferred from said variant memory to said main memory.

12. The control device according to claim 11, wherein said at least one difference data record is one of a plurality of difference data records stored in said variant memory.

13. The control device according to claim 11, wherein said main memory is an ECC flash memory.

14. The control device according to claim 11, wherein said main memory, in an initial state thereof, contains an initial data record enabling the control device to be operated in an as-supplied condition.

15. The control device according to claim 14, wherein a basic data record or a combination of a basic data record and at least one difference data record corresponds to the initial data record.

16. The control device according to claim 11, wherein the control device is configured to create the working data record.

17. An application-specific integrated circuit, comprising the main memory and the variant memory according to claim 11.